I don't think I'm a Christian. What do you think?

[BigJohn]

Originally Posted by SpiritualNovice

EXCERPT

I don't think I am a Christian because of these reasons:

1) I do believe that there is a supreme being, creator or God that created us all, the universe and the Earth but I do not think that it is everything that the Christian God is and is described as when it describes it, its purpose for us, its feelings for us, and its relationship with us

Some 'Christians' do not even believe this.

Many believe life, which is very complicated, came about by chance. For example, why does everybody have in their shoulder a ball and socket joint instead of the order being reversed, socket and ball? Surely if it was by chance, that anomality would be observed.

[BigJohn]

Originally Posted by SpiritualNovice

EXCERPT

4) I don't believe that God created the hell described in Christianity.

DO YOU THINK I'M CHRISTIAN?

Many of the newer Bibles, use HELL less and less and some do not even use it. Hell got in the Bible by being mistranslated.

By not believing in a HELL, you might be more of a Christian then you though.

[Molearner]

The common ground displayed here seems to list reasons not to believe. Why does one even want to be thought of as a Christian if he has no Christian beliefs ?

[sky]

Originally Posted by Molearner

The common ground displayed here seems to list reasons not to believe. Why does one even want to be thought of as a Christian if he has no Christian beliefs ?

And are those ' Christian Beliefs ' dictated by the Church's who make the list to be ticked off ?...
A list of ' Thou Shalt '

[Molearner]

Originally Posted by sky123

And are those ' Christian Beliefs ' dictated by the Church's who make the list to be ticked off ?...
A list of ' Thou Shalt '

Geesh…..good question….maybe the government should ? Perhaps an arbitrary panel of atheists ? Anything to include everyone who believes nothing. Next will come not requiring teachers to have an education……:)

Originally Posted by Molearner

The common ground displayed here seems to list reasons not to believe. Why does one even want to be thought of as a Christian if he has no Christian beliefs ?

I'm not sure I would say anyone has no Christian beliefs. Ultimately, even though Christianity has thousands of beliefs, it is about union with God. About a belief based on experience, based on the living realization we are one with God and that God's aspect of love can be felt, known, experienced, and taken on as our very self.

A lot of people like to say God is within, I would say God is what we are. We don't experience God because we are identified with so many things that are not God. Lower energies.

Belief can be based on direct experience or on nothing much at all. And like I said, Christianity has thousands of beliefs. What do any of these thousands of beliefs have to do with the realization of union with God's attributes of unconditional and universal love? But this union with God is a Christian belief. And all can achieve and feel and manifest this union whether Christian or not.

Every religion points to an experience of God. That is the point of all religions. That is what they offer humankind. If religion is about union with God, a personal relationship with God, then religion unites humankind, it does not divide us. There is one God and one religion, through through human ego and focusing on differences, we divide what is not divisible. Every single person is a child of god. Is connected to the divine. Is part and parcel of God.

So we are all Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Taoist, and on and on, any belief system that exists to illuminate and manifest our journey back to God and love and back to the realization of who and what we are. What we can choose to be.

All religions have within them those who do not know God. So over the centuries different beliefs are deemed important, beliefs that divide, belief that judge others falsely, beliefs that condemn. So yes these things can become entwined within religion. But I would say none of this is the point of religion which is to bring us all together as one. All of us are God, the one God, and we are all the same. Any differences are man made and superficial.

To BE a Christian or a Buddhist or a Hindu or any other title from a religion containing truth is to be one with all. To realize our oneness and our divine connection with all and as all, regardless of the superficial meaningless beliefs some may carry and give importance to that divide us.

Jesus did not teach to seek religion, he taught to seek God, love, the divine, truth. To live as love. To be a Christian is to have found the connection to love and each other. This is the meaning and purpose of all religions. Different religions are like different things we can put in our backpacks to help us reach the summit of a very high mountain, and at the summit we embrace in joy not worrying about what we used or carried to help us get there.

Nice post Abodisky, just excellent.

Matthew 22:36-40
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition

36 Master, which is the greatest commandment in the law?

37 Jesus said to him: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind.

38 This is the greatest and the first commandment.

39 And the second is like to this: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

[Altair]

We have to draw the lines somewhere, being a Christian, Jew, Muslim, Celtic pagan, or Buddhist comes with its own territory and acceptable beliefs.

The Apostle's Creed MH posted is a good start. Key is, Christians believe that Jesus is lord and saviour, and that belief in him is essential for entering Paradise.

[Miss Hepburn]

Yay, 'Jesus did not teach to seek a religion'.
Just believe what you want to believe - you don't have to label your self or join an official organization or club. Right?
Sorry that isn't addressing the topic...these threads can have a flow.